New Lenox Rail Sense

May 27, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune reporter 

No federal law against idling locomotives, agencies say

On any given day, 1,200 freight, passenger and commuter trains travel through the thousands of miles of tracks in Chicago and suburbs, according to industry experts. Federal rules set strict limits on how many hours crews can work, but it can take days for a freight train to maneuver through Chicago’s jammed rail corridor. Therefore, trains often have to be stopped so crews can change, officials said. Unfortunately for resident’s of Chuck Rice’s Woodland Hills subdivision [in Bartlett], the tracks behind the homes have become a convenient location for CN to park its trains while changing crews.

Read the complete article 

Press Release / Village of Barrington / May 28, 2008

The Village of Barrington is again putting Canadian National (CN) on notice about trying to mislead government agencies and the general public into supporting the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway line (EJ&E). Today, Barrington officials filed a reply with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) asking the oversight agency to deny CN’s May 13 request to expedite a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and enforce a timeline for making a final decision on the controversial deal.

Read the complete press release

May 19, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Tribune reporter

Increased rail traffic and safety are mentioned in his letter, but rail company chief wants Illinois senator to embrace plan’s regional impact.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has come out strongly against the Canadian National Railway Co.’s $300 million purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway.

Obama is “seriously concerned about the potential hardships for communities associated with increased freight traffic,” on the 198-mile EJ&E line, he said in a letter to Barrington Village President Karen Darch released Monday.

Read complete article

May 14, 2008 / By Richard Wronski / Chicago Tribune reporter

Facing a year-end deadline, Canadian National Railway Co. on Tuesday asked federal regulators to decide by Dec. 1 whether the company will be allowed to purchase the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co., saying the deal could be jeopardized otherwise.

Read the complete article

May 13, 2008 / By CINDY WOJDYLA CAIN / Joliet Herald News

TINLEY PARK — Canadian National Railway is getting a bum rap over its plan to acquire the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway, CN spokesmen said Monday. Opponents of the sale should look to government officials — not CN — to find blame, CN representatives said during a Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Read the complete article

May 13, 2008 / WTTW “Chicago Tonight” / Reported by Rich Samuels

Why are municipalities in five counties (as well as members of the Illinois congressional delegation) at odds over the proposed purchase of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad by the Canadian National?

(TV coverage includes interviews with CN representatives, local spokespeople, Sen. Richard Durbin and transportation experts.)

View the 12-minute video by clicking here 

Or paste this link into your browser:
http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,8,4&vid=http://wttw.vo.llnwd.net/o16/wttw/c2n/051308b.flv